Start now, not after!

Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen many people post on different social media platforms about how after the holidays, they will begin to exercise, or they will begin to eat better. My question is, why wait?

Sure, I understand that many people will be traveling this week before the holiday, spending time away from home, eating out a lot or overindulging in the holiday meals, but that doesn't mean you have to wait to start living a healthier lifestyle. What it really boils down to is discipline and having a plan.

When you have a plan, you are less likely to be sporadic and spontaneous, throwing all caution to the wind. Your plan doesn't have to be extravagant and detail oriented to the point that it feels like a chore you don't want to do. It just needs to contain a basic foundation to help keep you going.

Start off with a schedule. If you know that there is a specific time of day that you will have available, set aside 30 minutes to get some form of exercise in. Even if it is just a brisk walk, That is way better than doing nothing. If you are traveling, try to anticipate what your schedule will be like while you are away. Set aside time first thing in the morning before the day really gets going if that works best. If you prefer going to the gym, see if there is one close by you can go to. If you prefer @home fitness DVD's, bring them along. Whatever it takes, schedule an appointment for yourself, and stick to it. You will be glad you did and already have a jump start on the new year.

Next, portion control. We all know that there is going to be an abundance of food wherever we will be. If you are at home or going to a family member or friends house, chances are there will be food all around you all the time. If you are traveling a lot, you may have to settle for a restaurant, which we all know that there food is served in very large portions. Which ever the case may, the best thing to do is to regulate how much you eat. Take a small serving of the items you want the most. If at a restaurant, consider splitting the meal with someone or eat half of it and take the other half with you for a later meal. Also, eat a little slower. It takes a while for your body to realize that you are full. If you take your time with that smaller portion, by the time you are done, your brain will know you are full. When you eat fast until you fill like you are going to bust, you have probably eaten twice the amount you need or should have, thus doubling the amount of calories you need. Now, unless you plan on getting a 60 minute hard core workout in after wards, you don't need all of those extra calories. The image above shows what typical serving sizes should be based on the size of your hand. Too easy!

So this holiday season, start NOW! Don't wait until afterwards, the longer you wait, the longer it will be until you hit your goals.